Authors : A. Hakam, M. El Kortbi, M. Guelzim, K. Iaych and M. Rahouti
Abstract: The Atlas Cedar Wood (ACW), Cedrus atlantica is a resinous species of Pinaceae originated from North Africa and well known for its noble timber and his economic importance. The characterization of (ACW) with a low frequency electrical field has not yet been studied. It may provide a valuable basis for determining defects in this wood non destructively and may help to understand wood-water interactions and hygroscopic characteristics of wood. The goal of this preliminary study was to examine the feasibility of this characterization and to study the effect of the frequency, wood anisotropy and thickness on the dielectric properties of (ACW). The dielectric constant (ε’) and dielectric loss factor (ε") were measured for heartwood specimens using frequencies between 10 Hz and 1 MHz at 12% moisture content and room temperature (20±2°C). The results obtained indicated a direct relationship between dielectric constants and thickness. The dielectric constant (ε’) and the dielectric loss factor (ε") showed an important increase with the increase of the thickness, especially at low frequencies.
A. Hakam, M. El Kortbi, M. Guelzim, K. Iaych and M. Rahouti, 2019. Dielectric Characterization of Cedrus atlantica Wood at Low Frequencies. Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 14: 5789-5793.